DSLR for beginners?

[Annmarie Raite]

My last camera stopped working correctly, and I need to find something that I can work with to replace it. Unfortunately for me, I am not interested in most of the new sleek point and shoot cameras. I am saving up for a DSLR, but have more important things to worry about.

Can anyone recommend a DSLR that is not going to cost $700 or more? I have tried going the small digital camera route, but I am not comfortable with it for many reasons. I find most so tiny they are uncomfortable to hold, I enjoy being able to look through the eye piece of the camera at time (I seem to be the only person I know who has a need for that!), and I enjoy being able to play around with the focus on the camera.

Any help would be great. It's easy to just go pick on online, but I rather enjoy knowing whether or not people actually enjoy or hate something and for what reasons before I purchase it.

Thank you for any input you may have!

 

[lisah]

Maybe check out the Nikon D3100 or a Canon Rebel.
I like to go to bhphotovideo.com. There you can sort selections according to price, then narrow down even further. (look for rebates) Then you can take that information to shop around even more if you are worried about buying online.

I haven't purchased a camera from there, but I have purchased an Epson R2880 printer that I absolutely love, and they have good prices on quality paper and other accessories as well.

Oh, and I don't like point and shoots either, as I find them too hard to use. I have a Nikon D90 that I love, but my professor is a Canon man and from what I hear Canon's lenses are cheaper to buy than Nikon.

Oh yes. Before I got my D90 I had a Fujifilm Finepix. If you don't think you are going to want to buy different lenses you could try a camera like the Fujifilm Finepix HS20EXR. It isn't a DSLR, but something inbetween.

Let me add that my niece bought a Nikon D3000 before she upgraded to the D90. The D3000 has a tutorial built right into the camera. She found that very handy. (I'm not sure the D3100 has that, but check it out if Nikon interests you.)

 

[BlueJay83]

feel which is most comfortable in your hands.

I'm a Nikon shooter (D80 and D300s) and find canons VERY uncomfortable and illogical.

see which feels better in your hands.

on the Nikon side, don't buy anything LESS than a D90, because they lack an internal AF motor. Without the built in motor, you wont have autofocus on older lenses and that means you are forced to buy AF-S lenses which are expensive.

That means you're stuck with Canon if you're limited to $700

Professional grade Canon lenses are cheaper... but they are also not built as tough.
(Canon gives a 1 year warranty.. Nikon gives a 5 year warranty) but the price difference is roughly 25-40% more for a Nikon.

if you're wanting to learn to use it.. check out digital photography school ...... very helpful place.
I started with Zero knowlege on that site (mostly the forum) and i'm now shooting professionally.

 

[BlueJay83]

I'll tack on.... a DSLR isn't for everybody..
cameras like the Fuji HS-10 or the canon G12 are excellent all-rounders, and allow super-telephoto right down to macro work all for the price of a dslr kit.

buying a DLSR is just the beginning of a series of expensive purchases.. whereas a superzoom can still allow manual controls, including a hotshoe for flashwork. ...with no need to spend more money on specialized lenses.


...just a thought.

 

[Mydnyte]

I have a Nikon D70 that I've been VERY happy with. But the Cannon Rebel is also a very good choice, and actually weighs a bit less than the Nikons.

 

[Annmarie Raite]

Thank you all so much for the great advice! I'm going to check out bhphotovideo and see if I can see what candleman is talking about. That's great advice. Right now I just need a camera. I feel lost without one, but can't afford the added expenses of all the lenses. So, maybe something along the lines of the ones described below will be great for now.

I brought my camera everywhere with me for over three years, and it's been a year since it died out on me. I need something because I'm always seeing things I want to get pictures of.

Thank you again for the advice!

I'll tack on.... a DSLR isn't for everybody..
cameras like the Fuji HS-10 or the canon G12 are excellent all-rounders, and allow super-telephoto right down to macro work all for the price of a dslr kit.

buying a DLSR is just the beginning of a series of expensive purchases.. whereas a superzoom can still allow manual controls, including a hotshoe for flashwork. ...with no need to spend more money on specialized lenses.


...just a thought.

 

[osnova]

I agree with "buying a DLSR is just the beginning of a series of expensive purchases."; however, you could start on a budget and see where it goes.

When I bought my first DSLR (Canon Rebel XT) I discovered a new world of photography out there (pictures are just great, the price of a next shot is free, while the shooting is so fast that you are bound to find keepers). Note that I am not a pro, not even a semi-pro but the DSRL made a huge difference. Since then I did buy new lenses (but shoot mostly with one favorite zoom lense, so you could just get one good zoom and be done) and splashed on 5D mark ii.

Look for a cheap used Rebel XT or entry-level Nikon DSLR. But before you do, consider which system you want to go with Canon or Nikon.

 

[childofGod1]

I got the Canon Rebel T3 recently, and I LOVE it. I chose the Canon over the Nikon because the Canon fit my hand better. I tend to be a real klutz, and dropping a camera isn't a good thing. It's a huge deal for me.

I've always loved shooting macro: flowers, bugs, anything in nature. I started with a cheap macro filter, but found that it didn't focues well at the outer edges of the lens and I was losing a lot of great shots, so I ordered some Hoya filters online. The difference is night and day.

My learning curve is steep, now that I can shoot what I love without worrying about the cost of film. I think today, I'll go out and try to get some shots of frogs and lily pads and some butterflies.

 

[thisnamztaken]

My suggestion is to read a lot of online photography forums' reviews and posts by actual users of the models you are interested in.

Probably the best all-around (and largest) one is dpreview.com. They discuss almost any model camera made in the last several years.

If you know you want to buy a Canon, POTN.com is very good, and they have an active used camera buy& sell area also.

I'm sure Nikon and other manufacturers have their own brand-specific forums also that you can Google.